IX of Swords
by CocytusWhisper
Summary: Hikage Harai has found herself framed for assault and shipped to the big city, away from the only world she's ever known - she only wishes that she could see that loss as something to mourn. She's getting a new start... but is that really anything aside from another chance to fall down? ...Even if that's the case, she will keep hoping for a bright future. (Full-game AU)
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome! Here's what you should probably know about this story going into it:**

 *** It's all but complete (I just need to wrap up the conclusion), so I'll be putting up chapters every few days as I get them typed up (they're handwritten). I'll probably post them a little more rapidly here at the beginning, both to get some momentum going and because the earlier chapters seem to be shorter on average than the later ones. This also means that it has no real bearing on the speed at which updates for my other stories will come into being, so don't worry about that!**

 *** It covers the entirety of the game, starting from the moment that Hikage reaches Leblanc and going through to the very end. That does not mean that it's just a canon rehash with a handful of changes - it's pretty solidly AU.**

 *** It's first-person, so all of the usual caveats about taking the narration's interpretations of things as fact apply.**

 *** I welcome all comments! Feel free to throw any kind of critique or speculation you want out there. The story is fully written, but that doesn't mean critique doesn't matter - I'm more than happy to make changes as I go through typing it up if someone points out that I pulled a stupid and I prove unable to demonstrate that it wasn't one!**

 _April 9th, 20XX_

The sign above the door read "Leblanc". How did you pronounce that? "Le blahnk"? Maybe "Le blan", if it was French? …It was probably French. Wasn't there an author with that name? I had read something during a foreign lit class last year…

…But I was just stalling. I raised my trembling arm and opened the door, hurrying inside before I could lose what little nerve I was pretending to have.

The interior of the café was cozy — a few tables with booths, then a bar with a handful of chairs. An old couple was sitting at one of the tables, eyes trained on the TV, and an older man with a black goatee was reading a newspaper at one of the bar's chairs.

I silently hung back as the couple bemoaned the news and the man thought aloud about his crossword — I didn't want to make a nuisance of myself. The man with the goatee noticed me when he looked up.

"…Oh, right. That's today, huh." He tossed his paper onto the counter and stood up.

"We'll be going now." The old man from the couple cut in, tossing a handful of bills onto the table.

"Thanks for coming."

I moved aside so that the couple could pass me.

"…Four hours just to get through a single cup of coffee." The man sighed. "It's a bit of money, at least." He shook his head. "You're Hikage, huh?"

"Y-Yes." I bowed. "I will be in your care."

"Uh-huh." He raised an eyebrow. "I'm Sojiro Sakura, but you should know that." He studied me. "Gotta admit, you're not exactly what I was expecting."

"I-I'm sorry." I shrank in on myself.

"Huh." Sakura-san's brow furrowed. "Well, follow me."

He led me up a set of stairs at the back of the café. They turned out to be the path to an attic — one absolutely cluttered with objects of all kinds. The box I had sent from my previous residence was in the middle of the room.

"This is your room." Sakura-san gestured around. "The bed's over there." He pointed to a mattress on top of some cinder blocks in the corner. "Don't worry, I'll at least give you a set of sheets. The cleaning's on you, though."

"Thank you very much." I bowed again. The room was much bigger than the one I was used to — needing to clean it up was a small price to pay for the additional space. But… it might even be too much space, really… All I had in my box was some clothing and a handful of books, the entirety of my worldly possessions.

"…You're welcome." Sakura-san sounded puzzled, but moved on. "I'll be locking up the café after business hours every day. You'll be on your own after that — don't do anything stupid, or you're out."

"I-I understand." I bowed. "I really appreciate you taking me in like this, Sakura-san. I promise not to cause you any trouble!"

I meant every word. Sakura-san wasn't really connected to me in any way, but he was giving me a place to live and taking on the responsibility for anything that I did. He didn't know me, just my record — the kind of trust he was showing, letting me stay in his café unmonitored, spoke volumes. I wouldn't betray him.

"…Good." Sakura-san had a very strange look in his eyes. "I thought I had the gist of your situation, but uh… _you_ injuring some guy?" He frowned. "…I'm having a hard time seeing that. Do you even weigh enough to budge an adult?"

I ducked my head, shoulders slumping.

"Well, I guess it doesn't really matter." He shook his head. "No matter what the truth is, you've got a criminal record, and now you're out here. Just behave yourself for the year, and your probation will be lifted. Cause any problems, and you'll find yourself in juvie. Got that?"

I nodded. That was the last thing I wanted. Even if the stories I'd heard were exaggerated — and they almost certainly were — I didn't think juvie was the kind of place I'd survive in one piece.

"…Good." Sakura-san sighed. "We'll be going to your new school, Shujin Academy, tomorrow to introduce ourselves to the staff. Be grateful that they're taking you in — most schools wouldn't be willing to add a criminal to their ranks."

"I understand." I nodded. Sakura-san was right — Shujin had been the only school willing to accept me after my old school expelled me. Honor student to disgrace in the span of a single night…

"I suggest you start cleaning, if you want to sleep tonight." Sakura-san moved back to the stairs. "I'll bring the sheets this evening."

* * *

It took me the entire afternoon, but I got the room into a usable state. There was still a desk that needed some work, and there were some gardening supplies up against one side of the wall, but… I was too tired to do anything else today. My arms were sore from all of the lifting I'd done.

I heard the sound of footsteps, and Sakura-san returned. He was carrying the promised sheets. "…Huh. That noise really _was_ you cleaning." He looked around the room. "Not bad. Well, here you go." He deposited the sheets into my arms. "I'm leaving now. You should go to bed soon."

"G-Goodnight!"

He gave me a lazy, back-handed wave as he left.

I put the sheets on the bed and shuffled over to my box of clothing. The first nightgown I managed to locate was my second-favorite, white with a nice pattern of pink sakura blossoms. At least _something_ had gone more-or-less my way tonight. I thought about continuing to dig for my favorite, a pale green, but I could barely keep my eyes open.

I fell asleep as soon as I had changed and collapsed into bed.

* * *

…And then I found myself chained up in a prison cell. I approached the door hesitantly. I was dreaming, right…?

Two pale-skinned girls with white hair were staring at me from outside, each with one eye covered by an eyepatch. Their visible eyes were golden. And beyond them…

"Trickster… Welcome to my Velvet Room."

The old man looked _mostly_ human, but his deep voice resonated uncomfortably in my bones. His pointed nose was like a beak, stretching far beyond his face. His eyes bulged out of their sockets. His ears were as pointed and elongated as his nose. His mouth was stretched into a grin that covered the entire width of his face…

And yet what disturbed me most were his fingers. Their length far exceeded humanity, and when he moved them they twisted in ways that ordinary joints would never allow.

"So you've come to, Inmate." The mean-looking girl's voice was mocking.

"And yet you're still fast asleep," her twin continued. "In reality, that is. For you, this is nothing but a dream."

"Stand up straight in the presence of our master!"

I did my best to straighten up. Even if this was a dream, there was no need to be rude.

"Welcome," the old man — their master, I supposed — purred. "I am _delighted_ to make your acquaintance. This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a Contract may enter. I am Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."

I nodded.

"I have summoned you to discuss important matters." Igor-san waited expectantly.

"I-Important matters, Igor-san?"

His grin seemed to grow even wider, now occupying the space on either side of his head. "The state of this room reflects the state of your own heart… I had never imagined that it would appear as a prison, but I suppose you truly are a prisoner of fate. And in the near future… Ruin awaits you." He waited again.

"Ruin?" Igor-san's game of waiting was peculiar, but perhaps it was simply how they did things wherever he was from. For all that he didn't have an accent, he certainly didn't look Japanese.

"The end… to _everything_." Igor-san tilted his head. "There is, however, a means to oppose this. If you are successfully rehabilitated… Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

My head spun, and my legs felt weak. "I… Me, Igor-san?"

One of Igor-san's immense eyebrows rose further up his face. "You didn't decline, hm? Very well, that is enough. Allow me to observe the path of your rehabilitation."

That wasn't quite how I'd meant it, but I didn't think that Igor-san would accept a refusal _now_.

The girls outside of the cell spun to face me.

"These are your wardens. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. I shall explain their roles on another occasion. Now then… the night is waning. We shall surely meet again, eventually."

A bell rang somewhere in the distance, and my consciousness faded away.


	2. Chapter 2

_April 10th, 20XX_

I sat down on the edge of my bed to wait for Sakura-san, thinking about the strange dream I had last night. Ruin? Something that threatened the entire world? Why would someone like _me_ be asked to deal with that? It was like something out of some ridiculous manga. I didn't think I'd read enough of that kind of thing for it to invade my dreams, but maybe I was wrong. I should probably devote more time to my studies, just to be safe.

The sound of footsteps interrupted my thoughts.

"Looks like you're up." Sakura-san was wearing a white coat and hat. "You ready to go? You'll need to take the trains from tomorrow on, but I'll drive you today."

"Thank you very much, Sakura-san." I bowed as I stood up.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop thanking me so much, it's getting on my nerves."

"I'm sorry!"

Sakura-san sighed.

* * *

Sakura-san stopped outside of a large gate. "Well, here we are. Try not to cause me any trouble, all right? Just behave yourself."

"I-I will, Sakura-san. I promise!" I bowed.

"…And now I feel like a bully." He sighed — he seemed to be doing that a lot around me. "Are you always like this?"

"…Yes, Sakura-san." I shrank in on myself.

Sakura-san rubbed his face. "Well, at least I won't be dealing with a rain of disciplinary reports…"

Once inside, we were quickly led to the principal's office, where Sakura-san and I had to read and sign several dozen different forms. A short man stood at the principal's left shoulder, staring at me coldly the entire time.

"To reiterate," the principal began, "You will immediately be expelled if you cause any problems. Honestly, I hesitated about accepting someone like you, but…" He shrugged expansively. "Just ensure that you behave yourself here. Remember that this is your last chance — if we throw you out, that's the end for you."

"I understand." I bowed. "Thank you very much for offering me this chance, sir. I promise not to let you down."

Like Sakura-san, the principal was strict — and like Sakura-san, it was entirely justified. These men knew nothing about me save for the fact that a court had decided I was a violent criminal, and yet they were both choosing to give me a chance, whatever suspicions they might harbor. I owed it to them to do my very best.

He looked taken aback for a moment, but his distrustful expression quickly returned. "…Very well, then. This is the teacher in charge of your class."

The man next to him took this as his cue to speak. "I am Shigeru Ishikawa. Here is your student ID." He set it down on the desk. "I would suggest that you study the school rules very carefully, Harai. The slightest violation will see you in the guidance office, and believe me… I will be watching you very, very closely."

"I understand, sir." I bowed again.

"…Right, if we're all done here, mind if we get going?" Sakura-san looked irritated. "I got a store to get back to."

"Certainly, Sakura-san," the principal agreed. "I would ask that you keep a close eye on her — if she causes trouble outside of the school, it may still be grounds for an expulsion."

"I'll make sure she understands her situation, don't worry."

We were both silent for the trip back to the car.

"…They're treating you like some kinda nuisance, huh." Sakura-san sighed once we had settled back into the vehicle. "A criminal record… Just be careful, all right? If you get expelled, I'm kicking you out." His shoulders slumped. "…Not that I'll have a choice. The principal glossed over it back there, but if you get expelled, it's straight to juvie for you."

"I understand," I whispered, trying to control my trembling.

"…Good."

* * *

Traffic on the way back was heavy, and we found ourselves stuck in an unmoving line of cars.

"Traffic's just not moving at all…" Sakura-san spat. "Be glad you won't have to deal with this when you're using the trains."

I nodded.

"…So what do you think? Will you be all right going to Shujin?"

"I'm grateful that the principal is giving me a chance." I bowed my head. "I'm going to do my best not to disappoint him."

"…Seriously, how'd someone like you…" Sakura-san shook his head. "Well, I suppose I'm impressed that you're dedicated enough to enroll at another school after being expelled. Just remember that people will be judging me based on your actions, all right?"

I nodded again. I had been wondering why he was willing to take me in. Would it be okay to ask…?

"What's on your mind, kid?"

…Oh, it had shown on my face. "Um… Sakura-san, if you wouldn't mind telling me… Why did you decide to take me in?"

Sakura-san heaved a sigh. "I was asked to do it, and I just… happened to agree. I've been paid for it, too, so it's a done deal." He flipped on the radio, and I didn't try to press him.

"Again, a subway has derailed at Shibuya Station, greatly affecting the table all across the—"

He turned it back off, scowling. "Another accident, huh? There's been a lot of those lately. …We'll get back eventually, I guess."

All of a sudden, I really wasn't so sure that taking the train to school was going to be a better option after all.

* * *

'Eventually' turned out to be 'long after sunset'. We hadn't really spoken much for the remainder of the trip, just sat in awkward silence.

"I never got to open today," Sakura-san groaned. "Well… whatever. Just head upstairs, all right? I've got something for you."

When we got to my room, he handed me a small book. "Here. It's a diary. Make sure you write in it." He gave me a half-smile. "You're under probation, but there's no real limitations on you aside from following the law. Me, though…" He closed his eyes. "I've got to report on you, so I need you to record your daily activities. Keep it simple — I don't need to know every detail of your love life."

I shrank in on myself and nodded. Love life? Like I'd ever have something like _that_. I'd need to be able to make _friends_ first, and what were the odds of _that_ happening? After that, I'd need to find a girl who didn't mind my criminal record, and…

I cut off my downward-spiraling thoughts. A simple diary of my daily activities, right. That was easy enough, even if it was likely to be depressingly samey. 'Woke up, ate breakfast. Went to school. Came home. Did homework. Ate dinner. Went to sleep. Repeat ad infinitum.'

Sakura-san's phone rang. "Hey, what's up? …I'm about to leave right now." A gentle smile slipped onto his face. "Don't worry. I'll be there in no time. See you soon." He hang up and turned back to me. "I'll lock up, so do whatever you want for the rest of the night." His brow furrowed. "Except go out, I guess. Hard to do that when the door is locked. And try not to make a mess of the store."

"I'll probably just go to sleep." I looked down. "I don't want to be late for school tomorrow."

"Responsible, aren't you?" Sakura-san gave me a nod. "…Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Sakura-san."


	3. Chapter 3

_April 11th, 20XX_

My stomach rumbled as I slowly made my way down the stairs. Sakura-san hadn't mentioned anything about food, so perhaps I was expected to buy something on my way?

That thought died when I entered the café proper. Sakura-san was standing behind the bar, a plate of curry in front of him.

"Glad to see you're up." He smiled at me. "Here, this is yours. Just finish quickly, all right? I don't want the customers seeing someone get a free meal."

"Thank you very much, Sakura-san." I bowed and began eating. Curry for breakfast wasn't something I had ever considered in the past, but it was delicious… if still not something that I really wanted to have as a regular breakfast. It was a bit too heavy for that. "This is wonderful, Sakura-san." I gave him a small smile.

"I should hope so," he grumbled, rubbing the back of his head. "Now hurry up. You don't want to be late."

I nodded. "Goodbye!"

"Yeah, yeah. Make sure the sign's flipped to open on your way out, would you?"

* * *

Even with my phone's GPS, I had a hard time finding my way. Tokyo was so much larger than I was used to, and so packed with people! I squeezed up against the wall of the first subway on the trip, feeling horribly claustrophobic.

I was only too happy to get off when the train arrived at the Shibuya platform… up until I began searching for the Ginza line, anyway. My phone could tell me which trains to take, but not how to find them in the station. The kindness of the station attendants saved me.

Unluckily, it was pouring rain when I got outside at the last stop. I sighed and let my finger tap the icon to start the GPS again as I glanced around. A girl nearby caught my eye — she had pale skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes. A foreigner? She caught me looking and gave me a little smile, then faced forward into the rain.

A car pulled up, and the man inside rolled down the window. "Good morning! You want a ride to school?" The question was clearly directed at the blonde.

"…Sure, thank you." Her smile was uneasy, but she agreed. Was the man a teacher? I couldn't think of any other reason for her to trust him.

"Do you need a lift, too?" He raised an eyebrow at me.

"Oh, um…" I found myself pulling back. "No, thank you! I'll… I'll be fine." Agreeing might have saved time, but there was no _guarantee_ that they were going to Shujin — maybe there was another school nearby. That, and… something about his smile scared me. My gut was telling me that the less contact I had with him, the better. It wasn't very kind of me to distrust a stranger, but I was cowardly enough to let my fear override my politeness.

He glared at me and drove away. That… well, I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I hadn't been trying to be _rude_ …

A splashing behind me heralded the arrival of another blond — a boy this time. "Crap! _Screw_ that pervy teacher."

"Pervy teacher…?"

He turned to face me. "What do you want? You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?"

"…I-I'm sorry, but who is Kamoshida?" I shrank in on myself. My phone let out a little chime, but I ignored it. It was probably just a belated alert about the rain, with my luck.

"Uh, the guy in that car just now? You know, Kamoshida? The school coach? Does whatever he wants, thinks he's the king of a castle?"

"…The king of a castle?" I was so lost. At least I knew who the man had been. The blonde girl was probably fine.

"No, I mean…" The boy sighed, crossing his arms. "…Wait, you really don't know him? You _are_ from Shujin, right? You're wearin' the uniform."

"This is my first day." I shuffled my feet. "I'm a transfer student, in my third year."

"That'd explain it, I guess. No wonder you don't know him, Senpai." He looked out into the street. "Well, the rain ain't _too_ bad. We better hurry up, or we'll be late."

I nodded and moved to follow him, but stopped when my head erupted in pain. The boy — my junior, apparently — clutched at his temples as well.

"It's raining, my head hurts… I just wanna go home." He groaned.

I gave him a sympathetic smile. If I had a home to return to, I would probably have been feeling the same way.

* * *

"What?" The blond boy, who had been walking ahead of me, let out a strangled cry.

I hurried up next to him. Rather than the school from yesterday, a European-style castle loomed in front of us — it did have the school's sign on the wall, though.

"We didn't come the wrong way…" He muttered, looking back.

I glanced down at my phone. The GPS seemed to be showing that we were in the right place. "…D-Do they remodel a lot?" I offered weakly.

"Nah," he replied, still looking around. "I guess we'll just have to go and ask where we are."

I nodded and followed him up the drawbridge and into the castle. The inside was almost disgustingly opulent.

"Where's the school?" He turned wildly as he stared around.

"D-Did we make a wrong turn after all?"

"No! We definitely came the right way!" He paused and winced. "Or… I think we did… It's not that hard, and I'd definitely know about a place like this if it were in the area…"

He checked his phone. "What the heck? 'Out of service'?" He shoved it back into his pocket. "I wasn't imagining the sign outside, was I, Senpai?"

"I-I saw it, too," I agreed. "It was the same sign that I saw yesterday when I came to finalize my transfer."

Heavy metallic footsteps echoed in the hall beyond the boy. He spun around, and we stared at an enormous armored man carrying a sword.

"Oh, wow." He clutched at his chest. "Man, you freaked me out, dude. You a student? That costume's _impressive_."

The armored man didn't respond.

"…Say somethin'!"

Another armored man arrived. The boy took a step back, angling himself to cover me.

"What's goin' on?"

"I don't know…" I whispered.

The men moved closer.

"We gotta run!"

"O-Okay!"

We darted for the door, but another pair of armored men blocked our path. One of them slammed the boy with his shield, knocking him to the ground.

"Ouch! What the hell do you think you're—"

He was cut off when another of the men kicked him in the side.

I found myself being grabbed by a pair of gauntlet-covered hands, but didn't resist. What could I do?

* * *

The pair of us were taken to a cell. It was properly medieval, with manacles hanging from the walls. The men seemed content just to lock us in, which was honestly something of a relief. Those manacles looked _really_ uncomfortable…

"…You all right?"

"Y-Yes." I tried to hide how much I was shaking. "What about you? They hit you…"

"I'll be fine." He grimaced. "The hell's going on here?" He kicked at the ground, then ran and slammed himself against the door. It shook, but didn't budge from its place. "Let us out!" He yelled. Nobody responded, and his shoulders slumped. "Where the hell are we?"

A pained scream ripped through the air, and I threw myself back against the wall, eyes wide. My shaking was obvious now.

"The heck was that…?" The boy seemed just as shocked, but more in control of his body than I was.

"W-We… _are_ in a dungeon," I whispered, eyes straying again to those manacles. "I-It's probably torture."

"This is just a nightmare, right?" He looked at me pleadingly. "Come on, Senpai — places like this don't exist anymore!"

I could only shrug. The fact that we were here suggested otherwise, but saying so probably wouldn't be helpful.

The sound of armored feet rang out again. A pair of the armored guards leered at us from outside of our cell.

"Be glad that your punishment has been decided upon. Your charge is 'unlawful entry'. Thus, you will be sentenced to death."

"What?" The boy demanded.

I just nodded silently. Really, a quick death was a mercy compared to other things they could do. It's not like I really had a future with my record hanging over me, anyway — why fight it? I just hoped that Sakura-san wouldn't get in trouble if my body was never found. I had been seen at the station, so it should be clear that my disappearance had nothing to do with him…

"No one's allowed to do as they please in my castle," a voice declared. Another man strode up, but this one I recognized — the coach from the car, wearing a crown and dressed in a bizarre cape covered in hearts. His eyes weren't the same, though — they glowed a golden color that might have actually been pretty if they weren't set into his scowling face.

"Is that _you_ , Kamoshida?" The blond boy demanded, wrapping his hands around the bars of the cell door.

"Oh? To think I'd find you here, Sakamoto… Haven't you learned your lesson about disobeying me?" Kamoshida-sensei leered. "And you even brought a friend this time! Can't you do _anything_ on your own? Or maybe you just wanted an audience while I beat you down again. That's a little sad, you know…?"

"You monster!" Sakamoto-san snarled.

"Is that how you speak to a king?" Kamoshida-sensei scowled at him. "You sneak into my castle and then insult me? The punishment for that is _death_."

I really didn't see how that differed from the situation _before_ Sakamoto-san insulted him, but I kept quiet. I didn't want to know what he would do if I pointed that out.

"It's time for an execution! Take him out!" Kamoshida-sensei swept his arm out, and I snapped my eyes shut — he was only wearing an extremely tight pair of pink briefs underneath the cape, and the sight made me want to vomit.

"Stop it!" Sakamoto-san begged, but he was ignored. The guards flooded into our cell and surrounded him, pressing me up against a wall behind them to make space. He let out a cry and charged into one of them, knocking the armored man onto the ground. "C'mon, let's go!"

Another guard slammed his fist into Sakamoto-san's gut, and he crumpled with a whimper. "Just get outta here!" He begged me.

"Running away? What a heartless friend." Kamoshida-sensei's laugh sent chills down my spine.

"She ain't my friend," Sakamoto-san growled. "She just got caught up in this." He turned his head back toward me. "Go!"

My legs wouldn't move. Even if I wanted to run (and I did, so shamefully much), Kamoshida-sensei was filling the doorway — there was no way I could get past him.

The teacher stalked over and spat on Sakamoto-san, but one of the guards shifted to cover the entrance. "Ready to die, Sakamoto?"

Something inside of me snapped. "Stop it!" I begged.

Kamoshida-sensei froze, then slowly pivoted to face me. "Don't you dare tell me you don't know who I am. You were listening, right…? I'm the king. I make the rules!" He kicked me in the stomach.

I fell to the ground, tears in my eyes as I retched. "She dies next," he told his guards. Two of them held me down, one placing a hand on each of my shoulders.

A strange anger filled me. My body burned with fire, as if my blood had turned to magma within my veins. This situation was unacceptable. Would I simply lie here and watch as Sakamoto-san was killed? But then… was there anything that I could do?

Across from me, a guard lifted Sakamoto-san into the air and placed a large sword at his throat.

My head exploded with pain. Tears streamed out of my eyes and I screamed, thrashing. The burning was growing hotter and hotter, and it felt like I was going to be utterly consumed. Like everything that I was, body and soul, would be devoured by the hungry flame.

The pain stopped abruptly, though the heat remained. My fear, my indecision — they were gone.

"Execute him!" Kamoshida-sensei snarled. His back was still to me, his finger pointing straight at Sakamoto-san.

"I will stop you."

"…What was that?" Kamoshida-sensei turned around. The guard holding Sakamoto-san dropped him to the ground.

"I said that I will stop you!"

A wind blasted from my body, throwing back the guards who had been holding me down. A mask covered my eyes, and I felt an overbearing urge to tear it off. I struggled with it, wincing at the pain — it seemed fused to my flesh, and blood sprayed forth as I finally managed to peel it away. I screamed again, but it was as much in triumph as in pain — it was as if some long-hidden part of me had finally been freed.

I smiled. My eyes felt strange, the darkness of the room seeming less oppressive than it had only moments earlier. Blue fire covered my body, and I felt an odd sensation on my skin. Had my clothing transformed? It felt like I was wearing shorts, and there was a heaviness behind me that seemed like I was wearing a long coat. I felt more than saw the figure forming behind me.

"What the…?" Sakamoto-san stared up in awe.

"Who the hell are you?" Kamoshida-sensei demanded, eyes wide as he gazed at the figure floating beside me. "Guards! Kill them!"

The guards transformed, becoming strange floating pumpkin creatures. A wild smile crawled onto my face, almost painful in the way that it contorted my muscles. I thrust my hand forward, and I felt power flow through me as the figure behind me mimicked the action. A ball of darkness slammed into the creature, which narrowly missed me with a retaliatory strike. I capitalized on the motion to finish it with the knife that had appeared in my hand.

My heart was gleeful. The second pumpkin creature managed to scratch me, but I brushed off the damage and slew it as easily as the first. When I refocused, Kamoshida-sensei was looming over me, but Sakamoto-san crashed into him. He snatched the cell keys from the ground and we ran out, Sakamoto-san stopping to lock the insane teacher inside.

"What… What was that just now, Senpai?" Sakamoto-san whispered.

"I don't know." My clothes abruptly changed back into my school uniform, and my strange confidence vanished.

"What the heck?" Sakamoto-san stared.

"Damn you!" Kamoshida-sensei snarled, rattling the bars of the cell. "Guards! After them!"

"We don't have time for this. Let's run!"

I nodded, and we took off. We _had_ to be able to escape now, right…?


	4. Chapter 4

The first door we came to was another metallic, cell-like barrier, and no matter how hard we tried we couldn't get it to open. Luckily, the gap to the other side of the area was small enough for us to jump — and the door over there was already open.

I shivered as I looked around — the entire area was divided by a rushing moat, and empty cages hung from chains all over the place. Who had designed this castle? Had it been Kamoshida-sensei?

We hopped across a series of fallen cages to cross the moat again. Cells just like the one we had been held in surrounded us, but all of them were empty… And the next locked door we found had no convenient path around it, though the cell nearby was open.

"L-Let's go in there and think. We'll be less visible, at least," I suggested.

"Good idea." Sakamoto-san followed me in.

I stared at the wall. "…Sakamoto-san, a-am I hallucinating?"

"Not unless I am too, Senpai."

We gazed at the enormous hole in the wall for another moment.

"C-Could… you go through first?" I winced.

"Why? Oh!" Sakamoto-san's eyes widened, and he blushed. "Sure, Senpai."

I followed him through what turned out to be a fairly lengthy, deliberately-carved tunnel. It led to a cell on the other side of the door, this one just as open as the first. We crossed a nearby drawbridge, but were quickly forced to duck behind a set of crates to evade the gaze of a pair of searching guards.

"Damn, guess they're seriously looking out for us… We've gotta find a way out of here!"

I nodded. "R-Right. Let's just keep moving. It looks like there are some stairs behind you."

"Eh?" Sakamoto-san blinked and turned around. "There are! Good catch, Senpai. Maybe these will get us back to the entrance!"

The spiral staircase was extremely long, so much so that I really did begin to hope it might lead to the ground floor. Unfortunately, when we opened the door at their top, we just found ourselves facing more dungeon. How far below the surface were we?

Unlike the cells and cages on the first floor, though… this floor was occupied. Boys in the Shujin student uniform filled the place.

"What the hell…?" Sakamoto-san's eyes were wide. "What's goin' on here?" I whimpered, and his gaze returned to me. "Let's just focus on getting' outta here for now. We can call the cops or somethin' later, yeah?"

I nodded, but it didn't turn out to be that simple. The next drawbridge was up, and the wall ahead was a dead end. I crouched down and hugged my legs.

"…Hey, you there!" The voice was high-pitched. "Blondie! Tiny girl! Over here!"

Our heads swiveled. A bizarre little creature was in one of the cells. It looked almost like…

"A monster cat?" I squeaked.

"I am not a monster cat!" The creature grumbled. "More importantly! You're not soldiers, right? Get me out of here! The key's right there!" They pointed at a key dangling from a hook on the wall.

"We're just trying to escape!" Sakamoto-san hissed. "We don't have time for this! I mean, you look like some kind of enemy anyway!"

"I'm locked up here! Why would he lock up his own soldiers?"

Both of them had good points. The apparently-not-monster-cat had the same odd proportions and unreal presence as the pumpkin monsters from earlier, but they _w_ _ere_ locked up…

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of tromping feet.

"Crap, they're catching up!" Sakamoto-san groaned, clutching his head.

"Let me out and I can take you to the exit!" The creature in the cell promised. "You don't want to get caught, right?"

"Do you really know the way out?" I asked, trying not to get too hopeful. It could just be lying to get us to free it, after all… or it _could_ be a trap set up for escapees.

"I _never_ go back on my word!"

That would have to do — we were doomed if we did nothing, anyway. I grabbed the key from the wall and opened the door.

"Freedom tastes so great," the creature purred.

"Just take us to the exit, monster cat!"

The creature glared at Sakamoto-san. "Don't call me that! I am Morgana!"

"Whatever. Just hurry up unless you want to get caught again!"

Morgana-san's eyes widened. "Okay, okay! Follow me."

Morgana-san led us to a strange statue of Kamoshida-sensei that was sitting next to the raised drawbridge.

"Now it may not look like it, but this is a lever." Morgana-san grinned. "Hey, tiny girl. See if you can figure it out."

Feeling Sakamoto-san's expectant gaze, I moved over to the statue. Where would I hide a lever… Well, only one part of the human face really moved like a lever. I tried tugging on the jaw, and it moved easily. The bridge lowered.

"What the hell?" Sakamoto-san stamped his foot. "Who designs something like that?"

A guard came down the stairs ahead of us after we crossed the bridge, and we froze.

"Crap, it's them!" Sakamoto-san fell over in his haste to get away.

"Amateur! Just stay still," Morgana-san taunted, flipping to stand next to me. I felt my clothes transform again, just as they had when I first activated my power. "You can fight, right tiny girl? Let's get 'em. Zorro!" A figure manifested behind the cat.

Between my darkness and the cutting gusts of wind that Morgana-san summoned, the enemy didn't last long at all.

"Not bad. Your Persona's pretty powerful," Morgana-san complimented me.

"I-I'm sorry, Morgana-san, but what is a 'Persona'?"

"You don't know?" Morgana-san blinked. "Well, you know how you rip your mask off when you summon it? Everybody has a mask somewhere in their heart. If you remove that…" They were interrupted by my clothes returning to normal. "Oh, looks like you don't have full control over your power yet. That shouldn't be happening. After all—"

"Whatever!" Sakamoto-san broke in. "None of this makes any sense, and they're still chasing us. Can you save it for later?"

"…You're right, this isn't the time for this," Morgana-san agreed.

"S-Sorry for asking." I ducked my head.

"It's fine! Here." Morgana-san handed me three little packets. "Use this only when you have to, okay? It's medicine. In this world, it will heal you up immediately, but that's the last that I have. At least we're almost to the exit!"

Sakamoto-san stopped us when we reached the next drawbridge, his eyes drawn to someone in a cell. "Hold on a sec! I feel like I've seen what this dude's wearin' before…"

I looked at the prisoner — he was in some kind of sports gear. "C-Could it be the uniform for one of the school's sports teams?" I asked. "The others were in regular Shujin uniforms…"

"Holy crap, you're right! How did I miss that?" Sakamoto-san looked stunned.

"We don't have _time_ for this! Let's go!" Morgana-san urged.

"Tch, fine!" Sakamoto-san growled.

It was too late, though — another guard found us and promptly split into a pair of small winged girls. They were so cute that I really didn't want to hurt them, but they _were_ trying to kill me… I hardened my heart and erased them with inky waves of darkness.

"Now let's move! We don't have any time to waste!" Morgana-san's desperation filled us all. "The entrance hall is just up these stairs. Keep moving!"

Just as Morgana-san said, we found ourselves in the first room we had encountered. Rather than moving towards the doors, however, Morgana-san led us to a side hallway.

"…Thanks." Sakamoto-san grumbled. He tried to force open one of the hallway's doors. "Hey! Why won't it open?"

"Wrong one." Morgana-san sounded smug. They kicked a different door, which swung open easily. It led to a small room with no other windows or doors.

"How are we supposed to leave from _here_?" Sakamoto-san demanded.

" _Amateur_ ," Morgana-san huffed. "This is the most _basic_ of basics."

I thought back to the handful of heist films I'd seen. "…A ventilation shaft?"

"Exactly! You're a natural at this." Morgana-san beamed up at me. I didn't _feel_ like a natural. "It leads all the way outside."

"I see…" Sakamoto-san finally seemed to be calming down. "Let's get that mesh off, then!" He leapt at the shaft, and while he did manage to remove the grate, he also fell to the ground with a loud crash. "Oww… You don't think they heard that, do you?"

Morgana-san rolled their eyes. "Just get going!"

"Aren't you coming, Morgana-san?"

Morgana-san smiled at me again. "I still have business here. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Be careful!"

"You too." Morgana-san patted my leg. "You may be a natural, but you don't have experience like I do. See ya!"

"Later!" Sakamoto-san darted up through the shaft, and I followed.

* * *

We found ourselves on an ordinary sidewalk. Nobody seemed to notice us appearing out of nowhere.

"Did we make it…?"

"I-I think so." I rubbed my arms.

A voice chimed from my pocket. "You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."

"…Returned to the real world? Does that mean we got away?" Sakamoto-san and I stared at my phone.

"Probably?" I offered.

"What _was_ all of that?" Sakamoto-san looked flustered. "There was that… that castle, and Kamoshida, and then that _cat_ … the hell's goin' on?"

I could only shrug.

"Sorry, Senpai. Didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's okay," I whispered.

"Are you students of Shujin?" A pair of police officers walked up to us. "Cutting classes, huh?"

"N-No!" Sakamoto-san sputtered. "We were tryin' to get to school, but there was some weird castle instead!"

"…What?" The officer's belligerence was replaced by bewilderment. "Just give me your bag. If I find any drugs…"

"Why would you think _that_?" Sakamoto-san yelped.

The other officer sighed and looked at me as the first dug through Sakamoto-san's things. "Are you his friend?"

I shook my head quietly. Sakamoto-san had already declared that we weren't friends, after all.

"Oh." The officer blinked. "You seemed friendly with him…" He shook his head, seemingly accepting my response. "Well, please just go to school, okay? It's important for your future."

I nodded. "I-I will. Thank you."

He gave me a small smile, then tugged his companion away from Sakamoto-san.

"This sucks…" Sakamoto-san complained. "Let's just get to school."

I nodded and followed him again. Hopefully this time it would be less of a disaster.

* * *

We stared up at the school. Even to my big-city-direction-challenged senses, it seemed to be in the same spot that the castle had been.

"Is this for real…?" Sakamoto-san clutched at my arm. "Senpai, what the hell's goin' on here? We came the same way, right?"

A man glared at us from the top of the stairs. "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you. We received a call from the police."

Sakamoto-san winced.

"It's rare not to see you alone." The man spared a glance for me before returning his focus to Sakamoto-san. "Where were you roaming around?"

"Uh… a castle?" Sakamoto-san's voice was defeated.

The man's glare intensified.

"What's this about a castle?" Kamoshida-sensei's voice rang out. "Carefree as always, Sakamoto. At least you had _some_ focus when you were on the track team."

"Shuddup!" Sakamoto-san glared at him. "It's _your_ fault that—"

"How dare you speak that way to him!" The first man snapped. "There's really not much leeway left for you. Could you control yourself for once?"

"He's the one that provoked me!"

"I can expel you, if you'd like." The man raised an eyebrow. "Follow me. You need to explain yourself." He spared another glance for me. "It's your first offense, so just get to class… but I've got my eye on you."

"I understand, sir. Thank you." I bowed.

"Oh, give Sakamoto a break," Kamoshida cut in. "I should have been more considerate. We were both to blame, you know?"

"If you say so." The first man rolled his eyes. "He still needs to explain his lateness, though."

"Fine…" Sakamoto-san followed him into the school.

Kamoshida-sensei eyed me. "You're that new transfer student, correct? Hikage Harai…"

I nodded, trying not to let my unease show on my face. "Yes, sir. That's me."

"…Have we met somewhere?"

"Yes, sir. This morning, you offered me a ride, and there was that other girl…"

"Oh, that's right… I remember now." He shook his head. "Well, I'll overlook your lateness today." His eyes hardened. "If you cause any trouble, though, you'll be expelled. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded again.

"Good." Kamoshida-sensei's grin returned. "Hurry to the faculty office. Ishikawa-sensei's been waiting for you, and he's not exactly thrilled, you know?" He turned to leave, but then tilted his head back. "Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life!"

"Thank you, sir." I bowed.

* * *

I managed to find my way to the faculty office, doing my best to ignore the stares and whispers that I was receiving. Like Kamoshida-sensei had said, Ishikawa-sensei was inside, and he looked furious.

"Over half a day late on your _first day_ , Harai?" He growled. "Give me one good reason that I shouldn't take you to the principal and have you expelled right now."

My shoulders slumped and I bowed as deeply as I could. "I'm very sorry, sir — I can't give you an acceptable reason. If you choose to expel me…" I choked up. "I'll understand. I won't protest."

"Huh." I heard a sigh from above me, but didn't straighten. "…I'll overlook it today. If this ever happens again, though, you're out. Understood?"

"Thank you, sir." I felt tears on my face. "Thank you."

A box of tissues was shoved into my hands. "Clean yourself up. Next period is about to begin, and I'll introduce you to the class."

* * *

I shifted uncomfortably as I stood next to Ishikawa-sensei in front of the rest of the class. Most of them were whispering, with the notable exception of a girl in the front row. Her red eyes were trained on me suspiciously, and her lips were twisted into a frown.

…Her eyes were _gorgeous_ — I had never even realized that human eyes _could_ be red, at least outside of albinos — and Ishikawa-sensei had to nudge me to break me out of our shared gaze.

"This is our transfer student: Hikage Harai. I expect you to make her feel welcome." Ishikawa-sensei glared around the room. "I don't want to hear a word about her being late — there was a mix-up in the paperwork, and we needed to send her back to her guardian to get it sorted out." He turned to me. "Well? Say something."

I bowed, trying not to shake or let my surprise at his willingness to cover for me show on my face. "I am Hikage Harai. I will be in your care."

The whispering started again.

"Quiet down!" Ishikawa-sensei barked. "Harai, sit there." He pointed at an open seat next to the red-eyed girl. His eyes conveyed his intentions — he wanted me up front, where he could see what I was doing. I nodded.

* * *

 **AN: I'm not going to be around tomorrow, so I thought I'd go ahead and put up two chapters today! I'll be posting chapter five on Sunday, which will finish off the 11th — after that, I'll probably move to putting up chapters every couple of days.**


	5. Chapter 5

The day finally ended, and I let out a quiet sigh of relief as I stood up.

"Late on your first day? We both know that the explanation Ishikawa-sensei gave was nonsense." It was the girl at the desk next to mine, the one with the beautiful red eyes. She had a disapproving expression on her face, and I flinched back, wincing as my hip hit my chair.

"I-I'm sorry for the disturbance it caused!" I quickly bowed, almost slamming my head into my desk. "I'll do my best to make sure it never happens again, I promise!" Had she really needed to put it like that…? I hadn't thought that Ishikawa-sensei's explanation was _that_ obvious of a cover-up, and even if she _could_ tell it was one… well, he must have had a reason for it, right?

The girl looked taken aback by my reply. "…Why exactly were you late?" The words were cautious, but not accusatory. A bit of hope returned to me — maybe she'd actually give me a chance! She wasn't a teacher, so this wasn't the same as the situation with Ishikawa-sensei earlier — I could tell her part of the truth without it being treated as some kind of excuse. …I hoped.

"I got lost." My shoulders slumped. "I'm… I'm not very good at finding my way around in a place like Tokyo yet, and my GPS directed me to the wrong place for some reason… This is my first time living in a real city, so I didn't know how to find my way back after that." I didn't mention Sakamoto-san — I didn't want to get him in even more trouble than he already was. He had only been trying to help, after all. "I know that sounds stupid, especially with how long it took me to get here, but… I swear I'm telling the truth!" I had been following Sakamoto-san rather than the GPS, but it _had_ agreed with our final destination.

"I see." Her face softened. "I'm Makoto Niijima. You said you're Hikage Harai, right?"

"I am." I gave her a nervous smile. "It's… It's nice to meet you!" I gave another bow.

"It's my pleasure." Niijima-san's eyes, which had been wary at the start of our conversation, were gentle. "…The rumors about you are completely wrong, aren't they? Are you okay?" She tapped the corner of her eye, and I reached up to my own — when had I started crying? I scrubbed my arm against my face.

"Rumors?" I hadn't heard any rumors, but there had been an awful lot of whispering going on… What were people thinking about me? I forced down the instinctive surge of fear — nobody here knew me. It couldn't be as bad as it used to be.

"You hadn't heard?" Niijima-san closed her eyes and sighed. "Then I guess I should fill you in, for your sake."

"Thank you." I tried to smile up at her again, but my lips didn't want to cooperate. I knew _all about_ rumors. What was it going to be this time?

"Don't thank me yet." Niijima-san shook her head. "The rumors say that you're a violent maniac, maybe even a killer. …I'm not sure how it happened, but your probation status got leaked."

"Oh." I shrank in on myself. Just my luck. I'd be perfectly happy if everyone left me alone, but I'd rather it not be because they were afraid of me.

…Did I _look_ like a killer?

…Still, it could be worse. I'd take these rumors over the ones from my last school. I hated that being told I was seen as a killer had caused me to relax, but life was cruel. At least I was less likely to be bullied over it.

Niijima-san groaned. "This _really_ isn't the place for this, and you look like you need to sit down… Come with me."

I followed her out the door and up the stairs to the roof, passing Sakamoto-san on the way. He made to speak to me, but drew back when he realized I was with Niijima-san — we'd get to talk later, right?

"We're not really supposed to be up here," Niijima-san admitted, sitting down on a somewhat rusty chair. "But that means it's a good place for a private talk." She gestured for me to sit across from her, and I did. I kept my gaze fixed on my hands, which were folded in my lap. "To be honest… I knew about your probation, even before the rumors started. I'm the president of the student council, and the principal asked me to keep an eye on you… You know, since we're in the same class and all."

"Okay," I whispered. Of course it would be something like that. Why else would she have shown interest in me? I couldn't blame the principal for it, either — he _was_ kind enough to take me in, despite my record. In his shoes, I'd be wary too.

"From talking to you, I don't think that's necessary. I mean…" Niijima-san let out a sound that was almost like a mixture between a sigh and a laugh. "I don't think a hardened criminal is the type to cry over this."

My head snapped up even as my hand came up to rub away the tears that had started falling again. Niijima-san looked like she was serious. My heart leapt, but immediately sank down again — _if_ she meant it and she really trusted me, that meant she had no reason to speak with me after this.

"I don't know what happened, but you don't seem like the kind of person to commit a violent crime. Whatever you were convicted of… You didn't actually do it, did you?"

I looked away again, trying not to let her see that I just couldn't get tears to stop forming in my eyes.

"I thought so." There was no satisfaction in her voice. "Hey… Please look at me."

I did.

"I believe you."

The words shook me to my core. Niijima-san hadn't even known me for ten minutes. Why was she saying this? What did she want from me?

…Could she really just be this nice? I hoped so, even though my heart told me that was impossible.

"I'm still going to be expected to give reports on your behavior — I can't get around that. But…" Niijima-san hesitated. "That doesn't mean I have to act like some kind of sneak. I… Would you…" She cut herself off and shook her head. "This is going to sound ridiculous… but would you like to be friends?"

My mouth hung open. Friends? Her? _Me_? Had I heard her right?

She let out a short, pained laugh and rubbed her ear. "I'm sorry, forget about that. What a strange thing for me to ask, especially after telling you about my task… It probably just sounds like an excuse to spy on you more easily, doesn't it?"

"No!" I blurted. "I'd love to be friends! I just… I was surprised. That you'd want to be friends with someone like… me."

Surprised, but _thrilled_. My heart felt like it was going to burst, and I was barely suppressing a stupid grin. A _friend_? This was too good to be true, but I wanted to believe her. It was fine even if she _was_ just pretending so that she could do her job — I would be happy as long as she was willing to act the part of a friend.

Niijima-san looked stunned, but a shy smile crawled onto her lips. "Why would that be a surprise? I've only known you for a little while, but you seem very sweet."

I blushed and looked away. That wasn't fair! I finally made a maybe-friend, and she was this cute? "…Thanks," I muttered. "Um…" I met her eyes again. "I'm afraid that I… don't really know what friends do…"

She opened her mouth, but immediately closed it again. Her brow furrowed, and she placed her hand on her chin. "…Neither do I. Maybe study together? Or get crepes?"

"That would be nice!" A genuine smile finally broke over my face. Niijima-san returned it.

"…Can I call you Hikage?"

"O-Of course!"

"Then you'll have to call me Makoto." Her smile made my stomach flutter pleasantly. "Oh! And about before… You said your GPS didn't bring you to the school?"

"That's right." I winced. "I don't know why… I was able to reach the right train platform, but the last stretch went all wrong."

"Hmm." Niijima-sa— No, _Makoto_ bit her lip. "Well… If you promise to be a little early every morning, I can walk you to the school from the station. I've usually got some duties for student council before classes begin. Paperwork, that kind of thing."

"Really?" My voice cracked. Why was she offering so much to me? What did I do to deserve this? She was so _nice_.

"Really." She nodded.

"Thank you." I tried to rub away my tears with the back of my hand, but they just kept coming. "Thank you so much."

"It's not a big deal." Makoto put her hand on my shoulder and smiled again. "It'll be nice to have some company on the walk. It can be a little lonely that early in the morning."

I smiled back, my tears starting to slow.

Maybe living in Tokyo wouldn't be too bad, after all.

* * *

"As much as I'd like to talk some more, I need to get going." Makoto stretched. "I have some work to do for the student council. Do you think you'll be able to find your way to the station to get home? There are a lot of students going that way right now."

"Y-Yes, there are enough of them that I think I'll be fine." I smiled at her.

"Good." She smiled back. "Here, let's trade numbers before we go — message me when you get to the platform tomorrow morning, okay?"

"I will." I clutched my phone, new contact added, to my chest. I couldn't control my smile.

"I'll see you later, then!" Makoto hesitated, then pulled me into a quick hug before leaving through the door.

I smiled at the sky, dazed. Things were moving so quickly… This morning I had almost been executed by the crazy twin of the gym teacher, and this afternoon I had made my first _friend_!

The rooftop door opened again, and Sakamoto-san poked his head out. "Oh good, you're still here. Mind if I talk to you for a moment, Senpai?"

"Okay." I was only half-listening — there was a cloud above me that reminded me of a dragon.

"I, uh… heard about your record." Sakamoto-san gave me a shaky grin. "Everyone's talkin' about it." He moved closer. "But… to be honest, I don't care that much. You don't seem that bad to me. Saved my life, heh." He leaned on one of the desks scattered around the area. "What the hell happened there? You remember it, right? The castle?"

"And Morgana-san," I agreed. This new cloud actually resembled the catlike creature, if I squinted. And if I tilted my head… now it was a deformed rabbit.

"Yeah, what the hell _was_ that thing…" He shook his head. "Anyway… thanks, Senpai."

"You're welcome." I still didn't really understand _how_ I had saved us, but… if he remembered it too, it had probably happened.

"Oh, right, I never really introduced myself, did I? I'm Ryuji Sakamoto." He stuck out his hand.

"H-Hikage Harai." I shook it.

"Harai-senpai, huh…? Well, you're new, but… keep an eye out for Kamoshida. There are some _nasty_ rumors about that guy, and after this morning…"

"T-There are rumors about me, too." I felt the need to point out. "H-He _is_ a little unnerving, but he did cover for you when we got here, and he overlooked my lateness, too."

"Tch." Sakamoto-san spat on the ground. "Like that meant anything. When nobody's watching to hurt his precious reputation, he's completely different."

"O-Oh." I lowered my head. Sakamoto-san would know better than me, so… I would have to take his word for it. That made my stomach churn — what was going on at this school?

"He gets to do whatever he wants, just 'cause he's an Olympic medalist who managed to take the volleyball team all the way to nationals. It's a lot like how he was the king of that castle…" Sakamoto-san hung his head. "…I wonder if we could go back there…"

"W-Why would you want to?" Just the idea made me shake. "We almost died!"

"…Yeah," he admitted. "Maybe someone really _did_ drug us with something. No way _that_ was real… Well… Sorry for buggin' you. I'll see you around, Senpai."

"Goodbye, Sakamoto-san."

I was once more alone on the roof. This time, I heaved myself out of the seat and followed the flow of students back to the station.

* * *

Sakura-san fixed me with a light glare the moment I stepped through the door of Leblanc. "I got an interesting call from your school today. How exactly did you end up being late?"

I wilted. "I'm sorry, Sakura-san…"

"And you left on time, too." He scratched behind his ear and let out a sigh. "…Look, just behave yourself, all right? Don't throw your life away just 'cause you don't want to go to school."

"I won't," I promised. My throat felt tight, and I was fighting back tears.

Sakura-san opened his mouth, but was cut off by his cell phone. He quickly picked it up, attention shifting away from me. "Hey, what's up? …Don't worry, I'm almost done here. I'll be there in half an hour." He covered the phone with his hand and looked at me again. "Go to your room, all right? Study or something. Just make sure you remember to turn the lights off when you go to bed."

I nodded and fled up the stairs.

* * *

My eyelids fluttered, the words on the page blurring. I had probably done enough studying for the night.

I stumbled when I stood up, but caught myself on the shelf. The book went back into my bag, and I changed into my nightgown. My cell chimed with a new message just before I returned to my bed, so I made a detour — Sakura-san had my number, but why would he be messaging me? And if it wasn't him, then…

My heart fluttered when I saw Makoto's name attached to the message, and I hurried to open it.

 ** _Makoto Niijima_**

 _Hikage, I hope this catches you before you go to sleep. I'll need to be at school about an hour before classes begin, so please try to be at the_ _school's_ _station an hour and_ _fifteen_ _minutes early! You should probably bring a book or something to read while you wait for class to start — you're welcome to sit with me in the student council office, but I probably won't be able to talk much._

That made sense. I'd just have to remember to put one of the novels I hadn't started yet in my bag… I should probably do that now. Oh, and I should change my alarm…

Alarm adjusted, I moved over to my box of things and grabbed a book at random from the top of the pile — if it wasn't beneath my clothing, I hadn't finished it yet. The book went into my bag, and I picked my phone up again to send a response.

 ** _Hikage Harai_**

 _Okay! Thank you for letting me know — I'll be there, I promise!_

I hesitated, then continued the message.

 _Thank you so much for doing this for me! I'm really glad we're friends now. Goodnight!_

I hit send and moved to set the phone down — she probably wouldn't respond until the morning, if at all. Contrary to those expectations, though, the phone chimed again just before I released it.

 ** _Makoto Niijima_**

 _I'm glad we're friends_ _as well_ _. Sleep well, Hikage!_

I had no trouble falling asleep, a smile stretched across my face.

* * *

Like last night, I found myself waking up in a prison. After my experience at that castle… I didn't think this was just a dream.

"On your feet, Inmate! Our master wishes to speak with you!"

I rose.

"I see that your powers have awoken." Igor-san leered. "And how special they are… At last, your rehabilitation can begin."

"M-My powers, Igor-san? You mean… the 'Persona' that Morgana-san spoke of?"

Igor-san chuckled. "That is correct. I have high expectations for you… but there is no need for you to worry about that just yet. You will learn, in time…" He tilted his head. "By the by… has the Metaverse Navigator proven useful for you? Or perhaps you didn't notice, hm?" His grin deepened. "Using it will allow you to traverse the gap between dream and reality to enter Palaces."

"I-Is that how we ended up in that castle?"

"That is correct." Igor-san nodded. "I granted it to you that you might become a fine thief… but do not worry. Should there be others who join your cause, I will allow them to make use of it as well."

The bell rang again.

"Time's up! Back to sleep, Inmate!"

And once again, my consciousness faded away…


	6. Chapter 6

_April 12th, 20XX_

The ringing of my alarm startled me awake. I blinked slowly, wondering why it was so dark… and then I remembered. Makoto!

I leapt out of bed and rushed through my morning preparations. I was surprised to find Sakura-san already in the café when I hurried down the stairs — and from the expression on his face, he wasn't expecting to see me up this early, either.

"Whoa, what's the rush?" Sakura-san peered at me over his glasses. "Being at school early won't wipe away your tardiness yesterday, you know."

"I-I know that, Sakura-san." I ducked my head. "B-But, I made a friend yesterday, and she offered to help make sure I wouldn't get lost on my way today…"

"You were _lost_ yesterday?" Sakura-san palmed his face. "I guess a country girl like you wouldn't be used to the city, huh… I probably should have taken you on the subway the other day." He frowned. "Why would your _friend_ be up this early? Are you sure you're not being set up for something?"

"S-She's on the student council, and she's very nice." I nudged the floor with my toe, shrinking into myself. Makoto wouldn't set me up, right…? "She needs to be at school early for that… I-I'm sure she meant it when she offered to help…"

Sakura-san paused for a moment. "You made friends with a member of the student council after being late on your first day?" He shook his head. "Well, at least you're not getting mixed in with a bad crowd… A girl like that can probably keep you on the straight-and-narrow. Here." He set a plate of curry down on the counter. "Eat up."

"T-Thank you, Sakura-san!" Curry again…? Well, I supposed it probably wouldn't _hurt_ me.

* * *

I ended up being even earlier than Makoto had asked, arriving at the station a full hour and a half before classes were supposed to begin. I hesitated — should I message her, or wait another fifteen minutes? She probably wasn't here yet… I stared at my phone.

"Hikage?"

My head snapped up.

"M-Makoto?"

"You're early!" Her eyes were wide.

"S-So are you." I ducked my head.

"Well…" Makoto rubbed her ear. "I didn't know if your train would be early, or late, and I didn't want to miss you…"

"I-I didn't want to risk being late," I admitted.

Makoto laughed. "It's only a five minute walk to the school, Hikage. It would have been fine if you were a little late."

"O-Oh." My face fell.

"Hey — I'm not mad at you." Makoto nudged my shoulder. "We were both just a little too careful."

"Y-Yeah." I smiled.

We walked outside and were greeted with a heavier rain than yesterday. I moved my hand to my bag, then winced. I had been in such a hurry that I hadn't thought to grab my umbrella before I left Leblanc, and there was no time for me to go back. Maybe there was a stand in the station that sold umbrellas — we probably had time for me to run to one, if it wasn't busy.

"Um," I began.

"What's wrong?" Makoto looked at my face, then down at my hands. Her eyes widened. "Oh, did you forget your umbrella?"

"…Yeah." I gave her a sheepish smile. "Um, do you think they sell them inside…?"

"There's no need for something like that," Makoto laughed. "We can share mine. Here." She unfolded a dark blue umbrella. "We'll have to squeeze in a little, but I think we should both fit. It's okay if we get a little damp as long as our books stay dry, right?"

I nodded. "Thank you!"

"Of course!"

* * *

Like Makoto had said, the walk to the school was short. The rain slowed us down, but not so much that it was any kind of a problem.

…I was deliriously happy, though. Sharing an umbrella with a friend… I never thought I'd get to do something like that. It was a common kind of scene in the few shows that I'd watched, and I'd always envied the characters who seemed to do it so casually. I'd never thought I'd have the chance to try it out for myself, and I couldn't quite suppress my smile.

…I was also glad that it was dark enough to make my red cheeks difficult to spot — Makoto's smile when I squeezed in under the umbrella with her was _really_ cute.

"Well, here we are." Makoto folded away the umbrella once we were under the school's overhang. "The student council room is up on the third floor — I'll be the only one in right now, so if you want to sit in there with me and read while I work, you're welcome to do so."

"I brought a book." I nodded. "Are you sure that's okay?"

"Of course! There aren't any rules against it." Makoto smiled at me as she led the way up the stairs. "The student council room is always open to the student populace."

The room turned out to be a lot smaller than I had expected. Makoto and I settled down into chairs at the large table that dominated the center of the room, and I pulled out my book while she grabbed a binder from a shelf.

Makoto caught my curious look. "This is the club book," she explained. "I'm doing some preliminary work for determining how budgets will be set based on last year's numbers. Normally it would be the treasurer's job, but she's sick and I was treasurer last year, so…"

"I see." I nodded. "I-I'll try not to bother you, then."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled again. "But if I finish up early, we can talk for a while, so…"

I smiled back and cracked open my book.

* * *

"And… done!" Makoto looked up at the clock. "It looks like we've still got a little while. We were rather early, weren't we?"

I checked the clock, too. Almost twenty minutes left before class! "Yeah, we were." I couldn't help but smile a little. "We can probably be a little bit later tomorrow, huh?"

"I think you're right." Makoto smiled back. "What were you reading?"

"Oh, um…" I handed the book to her. "It's called _Masks_..."

"Oh, it's by Fumiko Enchi!" Makoto flipped through the first few pages. "I'd heard of this, but I've never read it. Would you mind if I borrowed it after you're done?"

"Of course you can!" I accepted the book back and tucked it into my bag.

"Thanks! I've been looking for more novels to read."

"I know that feeling. After a while, it feels like you're just not finding anything new…"

"Yeah." Makoto shook her head, frowning. "It's so frustrating!"

I nodded in agreement. "Um… would you mind telling me a little bit about the school?"

"Of course. Is there anything specific that you'd like to know?"

"Maybe… about the teachers?"

"Okay." Makoto closed her eyes and put her hand on her chin. "Let's see… Our homeroom teacher is Ishikawa-sensei. He teaches history and he's strict, but fair. As long as you do your best, he'll treat you well." She opened her eyes again and quirked her lips into a smile. "I probably don't need to tell _you_ that, though, right?"

"No, you don't," I agreed, hesitantly smiling back. "He was very kind yesterday. I-I should probably thank him for that…"

"Don't. He won't appreciate that." Makoto chuckled. "He likes it when people think of him as meaner than he really is."

"Okay." I thought of Sakura-san. He was like that too, wasn't he?

"For math, we've got…"

I listened intently as Makoto listed off teachers, committing her words to memory. I wanted to make a good impression on all of them, so every little bit would help.

"And then there's Kamoshida-sensei, for P.E." Makoto looked troubled. "I…" She trailed off. "…I don't know what to think of him, to be honest. He's a good teacher, if nothing else."

"Y-You don't?" That was very different from Sakamoto-san.

Makoto shook her head. "I've never seen any evidence that he's anything but a good teacher, and nobody has anything but good things to say about him. But there are a handful of rumors that he uses corporal punishment on the volleyball teams…" She rubbed her chin. "I don't _want_ to believe the rumors, and I asked around about it — the volleyball players were all very vehement in their denials, and their defense of him seemed sincere." Makoto shrugged weakly. "Still, the rumors are _very_ persistent, so… there's a small part of me that still doubts him. But, I mean, you're proof that rumors aren't always true, aren't you?"

I flinched, and her eyes widened.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean—"

"N-No, you're right." I shook my head. "I just…" I rubbed at my eyes. "I just want to have a normal school life."

Makoto put her hand on my shoulder. "You'll have one. We'll make sure of it together, okay?"

I tilted my head back up to look at her and tried to smile. "Thank you."

"We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yeah."

* * *

I got through the day's classes without any real difficulty. Shujin didn't seem _that_ much harder than my old school, but it _was_ still early in the year. A prep school was bound to rocket up in difficulty.

"I'm sorry, but I've got some meetings this afternoon." Makoto frowned as we left the classroom. "I'll be tied up until the evening… You'll be fine getting back to the platform on your own again, right?"

"Yes, I had no trouble yesterday." I smiled at her. "Even I can't really miss all those students going in the same direction."

"I would hope not!" She laughed. "I really am sorry that I'm so busy after classes… It should calm down a little before long — it's always worst at the beginning and end of the year."

"It's okay." I nodded. "I just hope it doesn't tire you out too much."

"I'm used to it." Makoto sighed. "It was the same when I was treasurer last year." She smiled at me. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Let's try not to be quite so early this time."

"Okay." I grinned at her, and found myself pulled into a quick hug.

I was still smiling when I walked out the door.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'm really sorry for the delay! I had a sequence of especially bad days last week, but thankfully I didn't end up in the hospital again. I'm planning to go for a chapter every three days at this point, though that time scale may go up or down a little depending on how much time I have for typing and editing.**


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